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I'. A. JONES 8v A. I-IOLT. Air-Valve'for Steam-Heaters.

Patented May 11, 1,880.

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N. FETES. PHOYO-UYHDGRAPHER, WASHINGT UNITED STATES EEicE.

PATENT FLORENTINE A JONES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND ALDEN HOLT, OF

BOSTON, MASS. v

AIR-VALVE FOR STEAM-H EATERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 227,361, dated May 11, 1880.

Application filed April 29, 1879.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FLORENTINE A. JONES, of New York, county and State of New York, and ALDEN HOLT, of Boston, in the county of Suii'olk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Air-Valves for Steam- Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

In the use of steam-heating apparatus as ordinarily constructed provision is made for the escape of cold air from the same previous to the admission of steam in heating the apparatus by means of a screw-thread at the end of the tube fitting in the base of the radiator or attached to any other portion of the' radiator, and after it has been cooled off. Following the escape of the air, the water of condensation is liable to be forced up, and, escaping from the apparatus, runs upon the loor, and often causes serious damage to the same and to the ceiling and walls of apartments below the apparatus.

It is the object of our invention to obviate this difticulty; and to that end the invention consists in the employment of an automatic valve so constructed and arranged that while the cold air is allowed to freely escape from the apparatus as the steam is entering the same any water that may be in the apparatus will be prevented from escaping by the closing of a valve, which is actuated by means of a oat incased in a hollow globe attached to a tube connected in any convenient or suitable manner to the heating apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents a vertical section of an instrument embodying our invention. rlhe instrument is represented as broken away to indicate that its length is greater than the drawing shows. Fig. 2 represents a portion of a steam-heater with our apparatus attached to the saine.

D is a tube, which is to be connected with a steam-radiator or steam-heating apparatus in any suitable manner. The tube D is attached at its upper end to a hollow globe, B, within which is a copper ioat, C, of a diameter sufficient to leave a space of a quarter of an inch (more or less) between its outer surface and the inner surface of the globe B. To the bottom of the iioat C is attached a guide-stem, E, passing through the tube D.

To the upper portion of the globe B is attached a throat-piece or cylinder, F, having on its upper part a head, O O, to which the connecting-rods H H are attached. To the throat-piece F is attached the cylinder A, extending upward, and connected at its upper end to the head I I.

K is a cross-piece or head, connected by means of the rods H H to the lower head, O. Through the head K passes a screw, having on its lower end a cone-valve, L, fitting in a seat, N, in the head I, and provided with a thumb-piece, M, so that the valve can be readily adjusted to its seat.

It is understood that the main cylinder A is to be made of brass, while the rods H H, which pass loosely through the ends of the head I, are of iron, the greater expausibility of the tube A, when heated, causing the valve-seat N to rise and be closed by the valve I, which is held by the less expansible rods To the upper portion of the iioat C is attached a stem, Gr, the upper end of which constitutes a cone-valve, a, ttting in a seat, b, in a diaphragm in the cylinder.

The valve-seat may be at the lower part of the tube or at the extreme upper end, the stem G, that carries the cone-valve a, being elongated accordingly.

The operation is as follows: rlhe valve L is adjusted to close the opening N when'the cylinder A is at its greatest expansion. When the apparatus is cold and free from steam the tube A will have contracted, leaving the valve N open. As the steam enters the apparatus or radiator the cold air is forced out at the valve N. Should any water ascend from the radiator into the tube D before the valve L N is closed, it will enter the globe B, and thus cause the iioat to rise, carrying up the stem G and closing the valve-opening b,

thus effectually preventing the entrance of 95 water into the cylinder A, and consequently the escape of any from the valve N.

Instead of the valve a b, any other suitable Valve which can be operated by a oat may names to this specification in the presence 0fbe used. two subscribing Witnesses.

What We claim as our invention is- The combination7 with an automatic expan- 5 sion air-valve, of a float connected with and.

operating a valve, substantially as and for the Witnesses purpose specified. J. H. ADAMS,

In testimonY whereof We have signed our M. F. GRIFFIN. 

